Abstract:

Safety testing or certification of certain workplace equipment and
materials. Part 1907 is thoroughly revised and is redesignated as a
new Part 1936. The proposal includes significant changes to several
definitions and requirements now in OSHA's General Industry
standards, and proposes a new Part 1935 of Title 29 covering test
methods and procedures. Proposed revisions to Part 1910 would
establish the requirement that laboratory-based testing, other than
testing conducted directly by employers, be conducted only in
properly accredited laboratories. The revisions would also remove
the names of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), and Factory
Mutual Engineering Corporation (FM) from the General Industry
Standards. This removal would end the Agency's involvement in a
situation which inadvertently may have resulted in an over
concentration of safety testing and certification activities in
those two enterprises. OSHA proposes also to update and provide
uniformity to the certification- related terminology in these Part
1910 standards and to undertake these changes in an organized manner
in order to maintain current level of safety protection. Proposed
new Part 1935 is intended to serve as a repository for equipment
test methods and procedures specified by OSHA standards. These test
methods also may be used as a basis for much of the OSHA- related
testing or certification. OSHA's regulation at 29 CFR Part 1907
previously established the criteria and procedures that OSHA
intended to use to accredit independent testing laboratories which
would test and certify equipment which is required to the
"acceptable" or "approved" under OSHA standards. It was originally
published on September 11, 1973, and proposed for revocation on June
3, 1974. OSHA has decided not implement this regulation as
originally written.